Imphal: A 40-year-old woman farmer was killed and two others were injured in an exchange of gunfire near Manipur’s Senapati–Kangpokpi district boundary on Thursday morning. Travel advisories were issued for National Highway-2 (NH-2) following the incident.
According to preliminary reports, the deceased was identified as Kimneineng Chongloi, wife of Thanggou Chongloi and a resident of Taphou Kuki village. She died on the spot after sustaining bullet wounds while working in a paddy field.
Two other residents of the same village, identified as Sehngam Chongloi alias David and Lamkhochon Chongloi, were injured in the crossfire.
The firing began around 11 am in the Kuki Taphou area near Kailengjang along the inter-district boundary.
Local sources said the exchange of fire began after militants allegedly opened fire on Naga cultivators in the area, prompting retaliatory gunfire. Farmers working in nearby fields left the area.
District authorities and local residents advised commuters to avoid non-essential travel along the affected stretch of NH-2. Police and security forces were deployed in the area, while official confirmation and further details from district authorities were awaited.
The incident comes amid unrest in the region following the abduction and killing earlier this month of two Kuki youths from Taphou Kuki village, Paoginlal Hangshing and Thangginlun Chongloi.
Their bodies were later recovered in Senapati district. The state government was already moving to hand over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).